Question: I would like to install my own SMTP server to be able to send bulk mail. Is it possible and what hardware do I need?

Answer:If you want to make your own mail server to send bulk mail, the main thing you have to worry is not so much the box itself; it’s going to be sitting on, but the stuff around it. The registrations, reverse DNS and so on.

So, first of all, the first thing you need is to get a static IP from your service provider. You can call your ISP and ask them for a static IP, if you don’t have it already. The second thing you need to worry about is reverse DNS lookup for your IP address, so when you do a reverse DNS lookup for your IP, you should get back your corporate domain name.

Another thing you could do for your own server is installed what is called SPF in your DNS. SPF is basically a string in your DNS settings. And that string displays a list of all the servers that are allowed to send email on your behalf for this domain.

Some providers, when they receive email from you, would check if it’s present. If it’s not present, they may put your email in the spam folder or reject it completely. Or give you fewer points, so to speak, in the spam check. Another thing that’s optional that you can worry about is DKIM- Domain Key Identified Mail- and you can get that if you want, but it’s really not necessary.

As for what software you can use, if you have a Windows box, you can use “Best SMTP Server” you can look it up on Google. Or if you have a Linux box, you can go with any SMTP server that’s already there, like Exim or Sendmail.